Bicycle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. YOUNG.

BIGYGLE.

No. 567,631. Patented Sept. 15 1896.

Ho mm D c NITED STATES CARL YOUNG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 567,631, dated September15, 1896.

I Application filed February 10, 1896. Serial No- 578,7 27. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to bicycles, tricycles, or the like, and has foritsobject to provide a new and improved vehicle of the class described,of which the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of atricycle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view in part section,some of the parts being omitted. Fig. 3is a section 011 line 3 3, Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4:, Fig. Fig. 5 is a detail view ofthe clamping-ring.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In Fig. l I have illustrated a tricycle to be used in carrying mail orother material, and which consists of the wheels A and frame 13,carrying the ordinary accompanying parts.

. A box or receptacle G is placed between the two rear wheels, back ofthe seat. A cover or canopy D is fastened to the box 0, and is adaptedwhen raised to protect the rider from the rain or sun. This canopy isadapted to be folded at the sides and laid back over the box 0, so as tocover the same and protect whatever material may be carried therein.This canopy is provided with the rods D D at each side, the rod D beingpivoted to the box. Said rods are connected to the crossrods D D. Acentral rod D is provided with a sleeve D, adapted to slide therealong,said sleeve having pivotally connected therewith the rods D By thisconstruction the canopy may be folded like an umbrella, by sliding thesleeve D along the rod D Ahinged piece 'D is connected with the rod Dand with the box 0, and is adapted to hold said canopy over the rider orallow it to be moved back so as to cover the box. The pedal-shaft E isprovided with a sprocket-wheel E, which is connected by a chainwith asprocket-wheel 011 a shaft E, said shaft having "one end of acoil-spring E" connected therewith, the other end of said coil springbeing connected to the barrel E; A sprocket-wheel is connected with saidbarrel, so as to rotate therewith, and is connected by a chain with asprocket wheel E on the rear axle; divided into two parts, eachprovidedrwith a beveled gear.E' The sprocket-wheel E hasconnectedtherewith the two beveled pinions E adapted to engage thebeveled. gears E said pinions being connected with a sleeve E on theaxle. This forms a balance-gear, which insures the rotation of the shaftwhen the machine is being moved forward, and which allows the wheels torevolve in opposite directions in turnin g short corners.

The crank-shaft E has keyed thereto the disks F F. Said disks areprovided with projecting ar1ns,-the material between the arms being cutaway so as to form grooves, which vary in depth from one arm toward theother, as shown in Fig. 4. A roller F3 is placed in each of saidgrooves, and is provided with a spring F tending to force it toward theshallow part of the groove A spring-ring G surrounds each of said disks,as shown. This Said rear axle isring is not continuous, but is separatedby y the space G, (see Fig. 5,) and is normally in such a position thatits diameter may be decreased by moving the two ends nearer together, soas to decrease the-size of said space. These spring-rings normally pressagainst the shells HH, which are journaled to the shaft and .which haveconnected therewith the pedal-cranks H H Also mounted upon the shaft arethe. beveled gears H II", provided with projecting edges, which projectover the disks F F, as shown in Fig. 3.

The spring-rings G are rigidly connected at one end to the shells H IIby means of the pins 11, and are connected to the beveled gears II andII at the other ends by means of the pins 11 Two beveled pinions I and Jare mounted upon the shafts I .J which are held in position by means ofthe sleeve I on the shaft E and the frame J I have described theseseveral parts in detail and have set forth a specific construction inthe drawings, but it is evident that I may vary this constructionwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore donot wish to be limited by the drawings and description herewithpresented.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: When it is desiredto operate the tricycle, the rider alternately presses down upon thepedals. If, for example, the rider presses downwardly upon thepedal-crank H (see Fig. 4,) the said crank will be rotated and willcarry with it the elastic ring G. Since said ring is in contact with therollers F said rollers will be moved toward the shallow part of theslots in which'they are located,

and said ring will be coneected with the disk F so as to rotate thesame, thus rotating the sprocket-wheel E and winding the spring E \Vhenthis crank has reached the lower limit of its motion, the operator bearsupon the Opposite crank H when the same effect upon the disk F isproduced. As the crank H moves downwardly it also rotates the beveledpinion H, (see Fig. 3,) and hence, through the aid .of the pinions I Jand beveled gear H moves the crank H back to its former position. Duringthis backward movement the rollers F are moved to the deepest part oftheir slot, and hence the ring G is free from the disk F. This operationis repeated and the spring E is wound. Said spring being connected withthe rear axle drives the machine forward. When it is desired to stop themachine, the rider simultaneously bears down upon both of the cranks Hand H Since the elastic rings G are connected at one end to the beveledpinions and at the other end to the pedal cranks, this operation willcause the ends of the rings at the point where they are divided by thespace G to move toward each other and the rings will be clamped upon theouter end of the arms F and will thus act as a brake to stop therotation of the pedal-shaft. It will therefore be seen that I have hereasimple and efficient construction which acts when the pedals are movedalternately to drive the machine forward, and when the two pedals arepressed upon by the feet of the rider simultaneously acts as a brake tostop this motion.

It will be noticed that I have here two means of connecting thespring-rings G with the pedal-shaft. \Vhen connected therewith throughthe agency of the rollers F, the shaft will be rotated by a movement ofthe pedalcrank, and when connected therewith through the agency of thearms F the rings tend to retard the motion of the pedalshaft. It willalso be seen that these two connections are independent of each other.

I claim 1. The combination in a bicycle, of a pedalshaft, pedal-cranksassociated therewith each adapted to make a partial rotation, an openring connected at one end with each of said pedal-cranks, intermediategear mechanism connecting the other ends of the two open rings,braking-surfaces connected with the shaft and opposed to said rings, aclutch associated with each of said pedal-cranks and adapted to connectthem with the crankshaft when they are alternately operated, the wholebeing so constructed that when the pedal-cranks are simultaneouslypressed, the spring-rings are forced against their opposedbraking-surfaces.

2. The combination in a bicycle, of a pedalshaft, pedal-cranks eachadapted to make a partial rotation, connecting devices between thepedal-cranks and shaft to operatively connect them, a series of beveledgears connecting said pedals, so that the operative movement of onebrings the other to the beginning of its stroke, and two split springbraking-rings between the pedals and the beveled gears, bearing-surfacesopposed to the rings and associated with the shaft and connected withthe pedals and beveled gears, so that when both pedals aresimultaneonsly pressed, the rings will engage their opposed surfaces andretard the shaft.

3. The combination in a bicycle of a pedalshaft, pedal-cranks eachadapted to make a partial rotation, two spring-rings, one connected witheach of said pedal-cranks, disks opposed to them and connected with theshaft, a series of openings or spaces in said disks, a series of rollersin said spaces provided with springs adapted to normally press them intocontact with said springrings, intermediate gear mechanisms connectingsaid spring-rings together and also connecting the pedals so that amovement of one causes an opposite movement of the other, whereby, whenthe cranks are alternately pressed, the spring-rings and rollers willengage so as to rotate the shaft, and when they are simultaneouslypressed, the spring-rings will be forced into engagement with the disksso as to retard the movement of the shaft.

4. The combination in a bicycle of a pedalshaft, pedal-cranks eachadapted to make a partial rotation, spring-rings having separated endseach connected at one end with one of said pedal-cranks, and eachopposed to a disk connected with the pedal-shaft, a series of projectingarms on said disks, a series of rollers interposed between said arms andelastically pressed against said spring-rings, two beveled gears looselymounted on said pedal-shaft, each connected with one end of one of saidspring-rings, intermediate beveled pinions to operatively connect thebeveled gears, the whole so arranged that when the pedal-cranks arealternately actuated they will be connected with the shaft so as tooperate the same, and when actuated simultaneously will be connectedwith the shaft so as to retard its motion.

5. A bicycle comprising a driving-shaft,

pedal-cranks adapted each to make only a partial rotation, a spring-ringconnected with one of said pedal-cranks, an opposed brakingsurface onthe driving-shaft, clutching deshaft is retarded, and when either pedalis Vices for connecting said pedal-cranks with operated, the shaft isrotated. said shaft, an intermediate gear mechanism to connect thepedal-cranks together through CARL YOUNG the spring-ring, so that whenboth pedals are \Vitnesses: simultaneously pressed, the springring isFRANCIS W. PARKER,

forced against its opposed surface, and the E. C. BOWLING.

